It is entirely commonplace to see MTV playing on the televisions in the Fusz Food Court. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, the pop culture TV station came to Saint Louis University’s campus in an entirely different fashion when Andrew Jenks, host of MTV’s “World of Jenks,” paid a visit.
The MTV star was chosen as the fall entertainer by the Student Activities Board.
According to Jenks, whose documentaries and television show have been popularly received, reaching fame takes strategy.
“I heard somebody say once that you have to be in the right place at the right time,” Jenks said. “But it’s more than that, because you also have to realize you’re in the right place at the right time, jump on board, and throw everything into it.”
Jenks spoke to students about his recent success in the entertainment industry, with documentaries on both HBO and ESPN and, most notably, “World of Jenks.” Presenting in the Wool Ballrooms in the Busch Student Center, Jenks disclosed stories about his emergence into the public eye and inspired students with his “don’t take no for an answer” philosophy.
The award-winning filmmaker and activist was just 19 years old and said he had no connection to the entertainment industry when he entered New York University as a freshman. He was living with 300 other students in a typical dormitory but was neither enjoying his experience, nor making many friends. At the same time, his grandfather was living in a nursing home nearby and, using this as inspiration, Jenks dreamt up an idea that would change his life.
The young NYU student said he always knew that he wanted to make movies, but upon receiving creative inspiration when lying in bed staring at the ceiling in his dorm, he determined that he would move into a nursing home and film the experience.
“I wanted to see what life would be like on the other side of the spectrum,” Jenks said.
After calling around 30 nursing homes in the New York area that refused his request to move into the facility, Jenks was granted permission from a nursing home in Florida. The only costs for the project were transportation, tapes and the film. “Andrew Jenks, Room 335” was a low-budget documentary that eventually launched his career as a filmmaker. To create the documentary, Jenks pretended that he was part of a real production company when speaking with personnel at the nursing home. He continued with this lie while striving to get exposure for his film.
Jenks said he credits his bank of lies as one of the crucial techniques he used in order to qualify for opportunities he may otherwise not have had. Jenks entered the film into as many different film festivals as he could. However, after one festival accepted the submission, Jenks was told that his film would not get into the festival, and that it was recommended that he not try to submit it to any others.
“That’s like being told ‘we received your college application and, not only did you not get in, but we recommend that you not even try to apply anywhere else,” Jenks said.
But Jenks did not give up.
An HBO executive eventually saw “Andrew Jenks, Room 335” at one of the film festivals and bought it from Jenks. Subsequently, he made a documentary with Bobby Valentine. The project led to MTV’s interest in Jenks, landing him his own TV series.
“He is incredibly inspiring. He has accomplished more than you would think somebody his age could,” senior Laura Beddor said.
The 25-year-old MTV star has dreams of eventually producing scripted films.
“Documentary is a practical, low-cost way to break into the industry and storytelling,” Jenks said. “Also, with the availability of cameras to the public at low costs, it is becoming easier to gain recognition for creative talents.”
“World of Jenks” focuses on different subcultures in the United States, and an MTV camera crew follows Jenks as he lives with different people from various subcultures, including episodes with a rapper, a homeless girl, a high school football star and an uprising comedian.
“I think it’s cool what he’s doing because he’s showing these subcultures that many of us don’t know much about,” senior Maura Fahey said.
Jenks said he is able to develop storytelling skills through filmmaking.
“Filming is often excruciating because the filmmaker is always looking back and making sure everything tells a story,” Jenks said. “Filming often does not go according to the plan. Sometimes I am following somebody around and feeling like I could get more from a blade of grass than this person, but you have to adapt.”
Jenks made it a point to emphasize the need for adaptability in the workplace. He said that without the ability to adapt to surprising or disappointing situations, he would not be as lucky as he has been in his career. In his line of work, Jenks said he finds where “the juice” is and runs with it, regardless of whether or not it is what he proposed in the beginning.
“I really liked his message. He is very relatable to people our age,” SAB President Christi Thieben said.
Amid his anecdotes and jokes, Jenks said his underlying message is that anyone could be where he is and can achieve what he has achieved. These are Jenks’ secrets to success, which he shared with SLU students in attendance on Tuesday evening:
“Students need to believe in themselves, never take ‘no’ for an answer, be adaptable and ‘fake it ‘til you make it.’”
